Systems and methods for managing coexistence of wireless-power signals and data signals operating in a same frequency band

Abstract

A method of wireless power transmission is performed at a wireless-power-transmitting device having one or more antennas configured to transmit wireless-power signals, one or more processors, and a wireless data transceiver. The method comprises detecting that a wireless-power-receiving device is located in proximity to the wireless-power-transmitting device; establishing a data-traffic profile associated with the wireless-power-receiving device, the data-traffic profile including identifications of data signals to be exchanged over a predetermined frequency band between the wireless-power-receiving device and the wireless-power-transmitting device using the wireless data transceiver, determining windows of time during which to transmit wireless-power signals over the predetermined frequency band to the wireless-power-receiving device based on the data-traffic profile; and at the determined windows of time, transmitting, by the one or more antennas, wireless-power signals over the predetermined frequency band to the wireless-power-receiving device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of wireless power transmission, the method comprising:
 while a wireless-power-transmitting device is transmitting wireless power to a wireless-power-receiving device based on a data-traffic profile that includes identifications of (i) data signals that will be exchanged at different points of time over a predetermined frequency band, and (ii) respective priority levels of each respective data signal, the respective priority levels including a high-priority level and a low-priority level:
 determining, using the data-traffic profile:
 a first window of time of a set of windows of time during which to, over the predetermined frequency band, (i) transmit wireless-power signals and (ii) exchange low-priority data signals, to the wireless-power-receiving device; and 
 a second window of time of the set of windows of time during which to suspend transmission of wireless-power signals while exchanging high-priority data signals to the wireless-power-receiving device; 
 
 after determining, using the data-traffic profile, the first and second windows of time, transmitting the wireless-power signals during the first window of time while exchanging the low-priority data signals and suspending the wireless-power signals during the second window of time while exchanging the high-priority data signals; 
 during the second window of time, based on data indicating a charge level of the wireless-power-receiving device, (i) interrupting the exchanging of high-priority data signals, and (ii) resuming transmission of wireless-power signals; 
 providing a notification to a user regarding the interruption of the high-priority data signals with a choice to select a time to resume transmission of the high-priority data signals; and 
 responsive to a selected time to resume exchange of the high-priority data signals, determining, using the data-traffic profile, a third window of time of the set of windows of time during which to, over the predetermined frequency band, alternate (i) transmitting wireless-power signals and (ii) exchanging the high-priority data signals. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the data indicating the charge level of the wireless-power-receiving device indicates that the charge level of the wireless-power-receiving device is below a charge-level threshold. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising resuming exchange of the high-priority data signals during a fourth window of time after the charge level of the wireless-power-receiving device is above the charge-level threshold. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 wireless-power signals are transmitted at a lower power level during the first window of time as compared to a power level used to transmit wireless-power signals during the third window of time. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 based on determining that at least some high-priority data has been lost in accordance with interrupting the exchange of the high-priority data signals:
 determining, using the data-traffic profile, a respective window of time to resend the data signals associated with the high-priority data. 
 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the low-priority data signals are associated with text data; and 
 the high-priority data signals are associated with video data. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the wireless-power-receiving device is a first wireless-power-receiving device; and 
 the transmitting of the wireless-power signals to the first wireless-power-receiving device during the first window of time is based on the wireless-power-transmitting device prioritizing the first wireless-power-receiving device over a second wireless-power-receiving device based on one or more of:
 respective battery states of the first wireless-power-receiving device and the second wireless-power-receiving device; 
 respective device types of the first wireless-power-receiving device and the second wireless-power-receiving device; and 
 respective priority levels of application data exchanged respectively (i) between the wireless-power-transmitting device and the first wireless-power-receiving device, and (ii) between the second wireless-power-receiving device. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the low-priority data signals are being transmitted to the first wireless-power-receiving device; and 
 the high-priority data signals are being transmitted to the second wireless-power-receiving device. 
 
     
     
       9. A wireless-power-transmitting device, comprising:
 one or more antennas configured to transmit wireless-power signals; 
 one or more processors; and 
 a wireless data transceiver, 
 wherein the wireless-power-transmitting device is configured to:
 while the wireless-power-transmitting device is transmitting wireless power to a wireless-power-receiving device based on a data-traffic profile that includes identifications of (i) data signals that will be exchanged at different points of time over a predetermined frequency band, and (ii) respective priority levels of each respective data signal, the respective priority levels including a high-priority level and a low-priority level:
 determining, using the data-traffic profile:
 a first window of time of a set of windows of time during which to, over the predetermined frequency band, (i) transmitting wireless-power signals and (ii) exchanging low-priority data signals, to the wireless-power-receiving device; and 
 a second window of time of the set of windows of time during which to suspend transmission of wireless-power signals while exchanging high-priority data signals to the wireless-power-receiving device; 
 
 after determining, using the data-traffic profile, the first and second windows of time, transmitting the wireless-power signals during the first window of time while exchanging the low-priority data signals and suspending the wireless-power signals during the second window of time while exchanging the high-priority data signals; 
 during the second window of time, based on data indicating a charge level of the wireless-power-receiving device, (i) interrupting the exchanging of high-priority data signals, and (ii) resuming transmission of wireless-power signals; 
 providing a notification to a user regarding the interruption of the high-priority data signals with a choice to select a time to resume transmission of the high-priority data signals; and 
 responsive to a selected time to resume exchange of the high-priority data signals, determining, using the data-traffic profile, a third window of time of the set of windows of time during which to, over the predetermined frequency band, alternate (i) transmitting wireless-power signals and (ii) exchanging the high-priority data signals. 
 
 
 
     
     
       10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a wireless-power-transmitting device having one or more antennas configured to transmit wireless-power signals and a wireless data transceiver, cause the wireless data transceiver to:
 while a wireless-power-transmitting device is transmitting wireless power to a wireless-power-receiving device based on a data-traffic profile that includes identifications of (i) data signals that will be exchanged at different points of time over a predetermined frequency band, and (ii) respective priority levels of each respective data signal, the respective priority levels including a high-priority level and a low-priority level:
 determining, using the data-traffic profile:
 a first window of time of a set of windows of time during which to, over the predetermined frequency band, (i) transmit wireless-power signals and (ii) exchange low-priority data signals, to the wireless-power-receiving device; and 
 a second window of time of the set of windows of time during which to suspend transmission of wireless-power signals while exchanging high-priority data signals to the wireless-power-receiving device; 
 
 after determining, using the data-traffic profile, the first and second windows of time, transmitting the wireless-power signals during the first window of time while exchanging the low-priority data signals and suspending the wireless-power signals during the second window of time while exchanging the high-priority data signals; 
 during the second window of time, based on data indicating a charge level of the wireless-power-receiving device, (i) interrupting the exchanging of high-priority data signals, and (ii) resuming transmission of wireless-power signals; 
 providing a notification to a user regarding the interruption of the high-priority data signals with a choice to select a time to resume transmission of the high-priority data signals; and 
 responsive to a selected time to resume exchange of the high-priority data signals, determining, using the data-traffic profile, a third window of time of the set of windows of time during which to, over the predetermined frequency band, alternate (i) transmitting wireless-power signals and (ii) exchanging the high-priority data signals. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The wireless-power-transmitting device of  claim 9 , wherein the data indicating the charge level of the wireless-power-receiving device indicates that the charge level of the wireless-power-receiving device is below a charge-level threshold. 
     
     
       12. The wireless-power-transmitting device of  claim 11 , wherein the wireless-power-transmitting device is further configured to:
 resume exchange of the high-priority data signals during a fourth window of time after the charge level of the wireless-power-receiving device is above the charge-level threshold. 
 
     
     
       13. The wireless-power-transmitting device of  claim 9 , wherein wireless-power signals are transmitted at a lower power level during the first window of time as compared to a power level used to transmit wireless-power signals during the third window of time. 
     
     
       14. The wireless-power-transmitting device of  claim 9 , wherein the wireless-power-transmitting device is further configured to:
 based on determining that at least some high-priority data has been lost in accordance with interrupting the exchange of the high-priority data signals:
 determining, using the data-traffic profile, a respective window of time to resend signals associated with the high-priority data. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The wireless-power-transmitting device of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the low-priority data signals are associated with text data; and 
 the high-priority data signals are associated with video data. 
 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the data indicating the charge level of the wireless-power-receiving device indicates that the charge level of the wireless-power-receiving device is below a charge-level threshold. 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , further comprising instructions for:
 resume exchange of the high-priority data signals during a fourth window of time after the charge level of the wireless-power-receiving device is above the charge-level threshold. 
 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein wireless-power signals are transmitted at a lower power level during the first window of time as compared to a power level used to transmit wireless-power signals during the third window of time. 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , further comprising instructions for:
 based on determining that at least some high-priority data has been lost in accordance with interrupting the exchange of the high-priority data signals:
 determining, using the data-traffic profile, a respective window of time to resend data signals associated with the high-priority data. 
 
 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the low-priority data signals are associated with text data; and 
 the high-priority data signals are associated with video data.